Friday Church News Notes
Volume 24, Issue 18 - May 5, 2023
The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, though this does not imply an endorsement.
The technology-empowered music revolution is the heart and soul of the global pop culture with its licentious “me first” philosophy.
THE AGE OF MUSIC (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - If ever there were an age when God’s people need to take heed to the issue of music, it is today! This could be called “the age of music” because technology has made it ubiquitous. Moderns typically are immersed in music every day of their lives. This is a brand new thing in human history. There was no music on demand from Eden until the 20th century, except for kings and the most wealthy who could afford to have musicians on their payroll. The music revolution began with the phonograph. It was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison and he rightly predicted, “The phonograph will undoubtedly be liberally devoted to music.” Twenty years later he observed that “people are willing to pay to be amused more than anything else.” How right he was! Modern communications technology has made this the age of amusement, and music is at the very heart of the amused culture. By the turn of the 20th century, record companies were popularizing the use of music recordings. The explosion of commercial radio in the 1920s hastened the popularity of listening to music and increased record sales. In 1920, “Crazy Blues” by Mamie Smith sold one million copies. Music pieces began to be written to fit the time available on a record. The result was the three-minute pop song. It was the first time in history that an individual could listen to whatever music he pleased and the first time that an individual could immerse himself in music in isolation. It was the dawn of the age of “me.” RCA’s 45 rpm vinyl record of 1949 was another major step in the music revolution. The players were small and more portable than anything that had previously existed, and some featured tall spindles that would automatically play stacks of records one after the other. It was the inexpensive, portable 45 that propelled the rock & roll revolution of the 1950s. It was the record of the rock party, the record shop, and the ubiquitous jukebox. In 1955, Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” sold 3 million copies. When I began my personal venture into the world of rock in about 1962, the 45 was still a prominent technology of the pop culture. The popularity of 45 rpm records peaked in 1977 with 200 million sales. Beginning in the 1950s, television furthered the music listening craze, particularly of pop music, with shows such as American Bandstand. The handheld, battery-powered transistor radio of the 1950s took portability of music to a new level. The Sony Walkman of 1979, that played the compact cassette tape, was revolutionary in making “my music” available 24/7, even while walking, running, etc. The iPod digital music player (2001) and then the iPhone (2007), with its instant connection with the internet, took this to an even higher level. The iPhone plugged the listener into the vast world of streaming services and on demand music such as iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon. The technology-empowered music revolution is the heart and soul of the global pop culture with its licentious “me first” philosophy. (We recommend the following free books and videos at www.wayoflife.org - What Every Christian Should Know about Rock Music, A Plea to Southern Gospel Music Fans, The Satanic Attack on Sacred Music.)
NUMBER OF ACADEMICS PUNISHED FOR SPEECH SOARS OVER LAST THREE YEARS (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Academics,” The Post by UnHerd, Apr. 21, 2023: “Attempts to sanction academics for their speech have soared over the last three years, a new report has found. Research by FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) shows that the number of college and university scholars subjected to attempted punishment in the past three years (509) almost matches the corresponding number for the 20 years prior to 2020 (571). The astronomical rise coincides with Donald Trump’s election and the #MeToo movement, which sparked a surge in sanction attempts. Between 2017-2019, there were 252 sanction attempts, compared to a total of 319 over the previous 17 years. But these figures are dwarfed by what the report describes as a ‘tsunami of sanction attempts’ shortly after George Floyd’s murder in 2020. In 2020 alone there were 151 sanction attempts, with 87 occurring in response to race-related expression (58%). A sanction attempt constitutes anything from open letters and petitions to outright termination of employment. Its targets are varied, but among the most prominent are the humanities disciplines (402 attempts) and white and/or male scholars. Nearly four-fifths (845) of sanction attempts involved white scholars (78%), compared to 92 involving black scholars (9%), the next highest group. ... ‘Cancel culture is particularly pernicious when it targets people charged with discovering and disseminating knowledge,’ said FIRE Director Komi Frey. ‘Vocal, dogmatic minorities on the left and the right are trying to restrict the range of acceptable ideas in institutions of higher education, and this should alarm us all. You do not need to agree with a scholar’s teaching, research, or extramural speech to recognize that censorship is not the answer.’”
CHRISTIAN TEACHER FIRED FOR OPPOSING HOMOSEXUAL BOOK HAS WON HER CASE (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Christian Substitute Teacher,” CBN, Apr. 28, 2023: “A Christian substitute teacher has been reinstated to her job and awarded $181,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees after a Georgia school district settled her lawsuit Monday. The district has also publicly apologized to her. Last August, Lindsey Barr was fired by Bryan County Schools officials as a substitute teacher after she raised concerns about a book that was going to be read to her three children at McAllister Elementary School during a library read-aloud program. The book titled All Are Welcome, contains several illustrations of same-sex couples parenting and expecting children. The book caused Barr concern because it contained depictions that conflicted with her sincerely held religious views on marriage and family. She believes the book is inappropriate for young children and that it appeared to be part of an effort to indoctrinate young children into a progressive ideology. Barr brought her concerns as a teacher and parent to the school principal and asked that her own children be excused from this reading time. The very next day, she was unable to access the Bryan County Schools portal she used to accept substitute teaching assignments. Five days later, she was informed by the school that they had terminated her ability to substitute at any Bryan County School. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys representing Barr first sent a demand letter last September explaining that her termination was in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution and urging the district to reinstate her as a substitute teacher. When district officials refused, the law firm filed a federal lawsuit arguing, ‘The First Amendment clearly prohibits BCS from engaging in viewpoint discrimination, or the punishment of speech where the opinion or perspective of the speaker is the rationale for the punishment.’ ... As part of the settlement agreement, Dr. Paul Brooksher, superintendent of Bryan County Schools, issued a letter to Barr announcing the reinstatement of her teaching position. ... ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, [said], ‘Terminating a teacher for engaging in First Amendment protected expression creates an atmosphere of fear and sends a message to the teacher and others in the community that, if they criticize the school’s approach to cultural or political issues or express viewpoints contrary to the school’s preferred viewpoints, they will face consequences. That’s unlawful and why we had to file suit in Lindsey’s situation. The settlement the school district agreed to is a victory for Lindsey, the families of Bryan County Schools, and every parent’s fundamental right to speak out concerning their children.’”
JAPAN’S DEPOPULATION BOMB (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from The Post by Unherd, Apr. 15, 2023: “This week saw the unsurprising news that Japan’s population has fallen again. A sombre Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told the nation that there are now 556,000 fewer people in the country, a twelfth consecutive decline, and a record fall offset only by an influx of 175,000 immigrants in 2022. For the world’s third largest economy, the declining population is now being treated as a national emergency. Japan is now ‘on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions,’ Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his countrymen earlier this year. The leader of the conservative Liberal Democratic party now regards ‘child rearing’ as one of the country’s most important economic policies. ... Last year, the UN reported the lowest population growth since 1950. Europe, North America and China are now all facing a future of declining and ageing populations. By 2030, one billion of the world’s population will be aged over 65. There are even signs that population growth may be slowing in Africa."
RETRACTING MOSQUITO ANTENNAE (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from CreationMoments.com: “Most people are aware that it is only the female mosquito that feeds on blood. The male feeds on plant juices. It is also easy to see the difference between males and females in most species. The male has a distinctive pair of antennae. While the female mosquito’s antennae are difficult to see, the male’s looks like a pair of branched feathers coming out of its head. And if it weren’t for a very special feature, these large, feathery antennae would make it difficult for him to fly. Each antenna is planted in a socket, next to which there is a pad made out of special protein. This pad is actually a water-powered engine. When flying, the mosquito's antennae are flattened against its head. But when he lands, he raises the antennae so that he can hear. To raise the antennae, a small amount of water from his system is pumped into the pad which increases its size by 25 percent and causes the pad to unfold, raising the antennae. Nature is full of so many wonders that it would be easy for us to get lost in them. But every one of these wonders is designed by God to lead us to desire to learn more about Him--especially to learn from His Word that He wants a relationship with you through His Son, Jesus Christ. Notes: Steven Vogel. ‘Life’s Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants.’ Princeton University Press, 1988, p. 255.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14).
NUMBER OF ACADEMICS PUNISHED FOR SPEECH SOARS OVER LAST THREE YEARS (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Academics,” The Post by UnHerd, Apr. 21, 2023: “Attempts to sanction academics for their speech have soared over the last three years, a new report has found. Research by FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) shows that the number of college and university scholars subjected to attempted punishment in the past three years (509) almost matches the corresponding number for the 20 years prior to 2020 (571). The astronomical rise coincides with Donald Trump’s election and the #MeToo movement, which sparked a surge in sanction attempts. Between 2017-2019, there were 252 sanction attempts, compared to a total of 319 over the previous 17 years. But these figures are dwarfed by what the report describes as a ‘tsunami of sanction attempts’ shortly after George Floyd’s murder in 2020. In 2020 alone there were 151 sanction attempts, with 87 occurring in response to race-related expression (58%). A sanction attempt constitutes anything from open letters and petitions to outright termination of employment. Its targets are varied, but among the most prominent are the humanities disciplines (402 attempts) and white and/or male scholars. Nearly four-fifths (845) of sanction attempts involved white scholars (78%), compared to 92 involving black scholars (9%), the next highest group. ... ‘Cancel culture is particularly pernicious when it targets people charged with discovering and disseminating knowledge,’ said FIRE Director Komi Frey. ‘Vocal, dogmatic minorities on the left and the right are trying to restrict the range of acceptable ideas in institutions of higher education, and this should alarm us all. You do not need to agree with a scholar’s teaching, research, or extramural speech to recognize that censorship is not the answer.’”
CHRISTIAN TEACHER FIRED FOR OPPOSING HOMOSEXUAL BOOK HAS WON HER CASE (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Christian Substitute Teacher,” CBN, Apr. 28, 2023: “A Christian substitute teacher has been reinstated to her job and awarded $181,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees after a Georgia school district settled her lawsuit Monday. The district has also publicly apologized to her. Last August, Lindsey Barr was fired by Bryan County Schools officials as a substitute teacher after she raised concerns about a book that was going to be read to her three children at McAllister Elementary School during a library read-aloud program. The book titled All Are Welcome, contains several illustrations of same-sex couples parenting and expecting children. The book caused Barr concern because it contained depictions that conflicted with her sincerely held religious views on marriage and family. She believes the book is inappropriate for young children and that it appeared to be part of an effort to indoctrinate young children into a progressive ideology. Barr brought her concerns as a teacher and parent to the school principal and asked that her own children be excused from this reading time. The very next day, she was unable to access the Bryan County Schools portal she used to accept substitute teaching assignments. Five days later, she was informed by the school that they had terminated her ability to substitute at any Bryan County School. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys representing Barr first sent a demand letter last September explaining that her termination was in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution and urging the district to reinstate her as a substitute teacher. When district officials refused, the law firm filed a federal lawsuit arguing, ‘The First Amendment clearly prohibits BCS from engaging in viewpoint discrimination, or the punishment of speech where the opinion or perspective of the speaker is the rationale for the punishment.’ ... As part of the settlement agreement, Dr. Paul Brooksher, superintendent of Bryan County Schools, issued a letter to Barr announcing the reinstatement of her teaching position. ... ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, [said], ‘Terminating a teacher for engaging in First Amendment protected expression creates an atmosphere of fear and sends a message to the teacher and others in the community that, if they criticize the school’s approach to cultural or political issues or express viewpoints contrary to the school’s preferred viewpoints, they will face consequences. That’s unlawful and why we had to file suit in Lindsey’s situation. The settlement the school district agreed to is a victory for Lindsey, the families of Bryan County Schools, and every parent’s fundamental right to speak out concerning their children.’”
JAPAN’S DEPOPULATION BOMB (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from The Post by Unherd, Apr. 15, 2023: “This week saw the unsurprising news that Japan’s population has fallen again. A sombre Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told the nation that there are now 556,000 fewer people in the country, a twelfth consecutive decline, and a record fall offset only by an influx of 175,000 immigrants in 2022. For the world’s third largest economy, the declining population is now being treated as a national emergency. Japan is now ‘on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions,’ Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his countrymen earlier this year. The leader of the conservative Liberal Democratic party now regards ‘child rearing’ as one of the country’s most important economic policies. ... Last year, the UN reported the lowest population growth since 1950. Europe, North America and China are now all facing a future of declining and ageing populations. By 2030, one billion of the world’s population will be aged over 65. There are even signs that population growth may be slowing in Africa."
RETRACTING MOSQUITO ANTENNAE (Friday Church News Notes, May 5, 2023, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from CreationMoments.com: “Most people are aware that it is only the female mosquito that feeds on blood. The male feeds on plant juices. It is also easy to see the difference between males and females in most species. The male has a distinctive pair of antennae. While the female mosquito’s antennae are difficult to see, the male’s looks like a pair of branched feathers coming out of its head. And if it weren’t for a very special feature, these large, feathery antennae would make it difficult for him to fly. Each antenna is planted in a socket, next to which there is a pad made out of special protein. This pad is actually a water-powered engine. When flying, the mosquito's antennae are flattened against its head. But when he lands, he raises the antennae so that he can hear. To raise the antennae, a small amount of water from his system is pumped into the pad which increases its size by 25 percent and causes the pad to unfold, raising the antennae. Nature is full of so many wonders that it would be easy for us to get lost in them. But every one of these wonders is designed by God to lead us to desire to learn more about Him--especially to learn from His Word that He wants a relationship with you through His Son, Jesus Christ. Notes: Steven Vogel. ‘Life’s Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants.’ Princeton University Press, 1988, p. 255.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mat. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:11-14).
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Distributed by Way of Life Literature., publisher of Bible Study Materials and reports for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. OUR GOAL IN THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OF OUR MINISTRY (REPORTS AND FRIDAY NEWS) IS NOT DEVOTIONAL. IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR.
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
The Way of Life Literature preaching and publishing ministry is based at Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. A mail stop is maintained in Port Huron, Michigan.
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